Laura Dekker

Currents The Official Magazine of the Bluewater Cruising Association

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Table Of Contents

Buddy-boating Up the Baja ...... 3 Cruising With Teenagers ...... 9 Advantages of External Alternator Regulation ...... 13 Calgary Chapter’s First Meeting of the Season a Big Hit ...... 15 Panama ...... 19 Ensenada BURP ...... 24 Fleet of 2016 Update ...... 26 Turtle ...... 29 Trying to Impress the Children ...... 31 Vancouver Club Night - From Rat Race To "Alternative" Lifestyle ...... 36 BCA Thanksgiving Rendezvous 2016 ...... 38 Vancouver Island Club Night - eXXpedition ...... 40 Vancouver Fleet: 2017 ...... 42 Vancouver Island Fleet: 2016/17 ...... 44 Currents Cover: Photo Contest ...... 46 BCA Cruising, Perpetual and Service Awards Nominations - 2016 ...... 48 Vancouver Fleet Meeting ...... 50 Welcome, Cathy Fritter - A New Member on BCA's Board of Directors ...... 51 Vancouver Island Fleet & Weather Group Meeting ...... 53 Emergencies on Board: On-Water Version ...... 54 Vancouver Club Night - Special Event: Laura Dekker ...... 57 Only 40 Tickets Left for Laura Dekker's Presentation! ...... 59 Calgary Club Night - The Fine Art of Circumnavigating! ...... 61

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Buddy-boating Up the Baja http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/buddy-boating-baja/

A lot has happened over the last 5 months. Some good… some bad. In the end mostly good. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe. I think. So some say. So I hear.

By the end of April I was finding cruising on my own was not for me. I knew that being on my own might be an issue before I left but I had to give it a try. I had said all along that I was going to do this as long as it was fun. It stopped being fun very suddenly and I made the decision the best thing for me was to head home where I thought I would have the best opportunity to put my life back together. However, a very funny thing happened on the way to the colosseum (Wayne and Shuster) – I’ll explain.

I met up with Jim and Trish (Falcon VII) in Los Cabos and we kind of buddy boated up the Baja together. They were powering mostly and I was trying to sail as much as possible. My boat doesn’t have the engine horsepower to make good time under power alone. We met up all along the way which was great. About 6 hours after I left Turtle Bay, my engine oil pressure dropped from 75psi to 15psi. I shut the engine down immediately to preserve it. I knew there was a serious problem and I knew I would need some power to weigh anchor and dock. I had been hoping the engine would last the trip but it was the weakest system on the boat and “The Bash” has a reputation of revealing every weakness in your boat’s systems. It did. The engine was the only system I had not rebuilt and, in all honesty, it was no big

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surprise. I had asked a lot from it over the last year. I babied it but it was not enough. It was just worn out.

I called Falcon VII to let them know what was going on and that it was going to take me an extra two days to get to Bahia San Quintin. We could only communicate on channel 16 because we were so far apart. When I finished telling him about my situation, US Coast Guard Sector San Diego came booming in strength 50 and wanted all of my info and intentions. They put me on a four hour reporting schedule and monitored me all the way to San Quintin and then to Ensenada. Talk about great service! They didn’t care I was a Canadian vessel. I also told them that I was not in any danger. Humans have paddled and sailed these waters for tens of thousands of years without the benefit of the modern gear I have. Their concern, I think, might have been that I was single handing. My best option with the forecast winds was to head west out to sea for a day then tack back to shore. I thought I could do it with two tacks but got headed as I approached the coast and I took four. I arrived in San Quintin late in the afternoon. The winds increased to 25 kts in the bay due to geographical funneling effect which made anchoring a bit of a challenge. Jim wisely suggested I anchor to the east of him which I did. After that I grabbed some food and crashed.

It felt like I had worked out in the gym for 48 hours. It was a work out: the winds went from 20 to 30 knots, to 3 to 10 knots, to 25 to 15 knots. The sea condition varied accordingly. I worked the boat to point as high as I could get it to go. I averaged about 28 degrees apparent which was pretty good but it was like racing. I slept in the cockpit and was able to manage my fatigue quite well. All the training I had in fatigue management in my former life as a pilot really paid off. The AIS and radar sentry helped a lot too. The fact I saw only two seine boats the whole trip was a real bonus.

When I arrived in San Quintin there were three other boats there. Falcon VII with Jim and Tricia, Fairy Tale with Erin single handing and Cordon (not the real boat name) out of Victoria. During the night Cordon broke lose from its anchor system and was blown ashore. I missed all the excitement but Tricia recounts the night’s events on her blog very well. When I woke up I looked out and thought, “where did everyone go?”. Both boats to the west were gone but Fairy Tale was still way out where she had been and remained for her time in San Quintin. Continuing my visual search I found Falcon VII off to the east. They had moved during the night. The picture shows why:

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Ultegra at anchor in Bahia San Quintin

The breaker you see was breaking right where they had anchored. Cordon was just a bit further west. Both of them would have been hit by these waves. Oddly enough they missed me completely and I stayed where I was. I did consider moving well towards the shore (over to the Entrada), but decided not to risk further damage to the engine. It was really not too bad where I was.

The weather forecast was showing that the winds were going to drop to less than 6 in a few days and, not wanting to end up close to shore or in the bay off Ensenada with no engine and no wind I decided to take my lumps and get on my way. I figured it would take about 2 days if the winds held and maybe just one tack. It was blowing 20 plus in the bay when I left but soon moderated when I got away from land. The seas were forecast to be big and short so the plan was to head offshore for a day or until I pounded twice in a minute. I would then tack and head back in. I got far enough out, about 80 miles, before it got too rough. It looked good for Ensenada but, alas, was not to be. As I approached shore at about 15 miles the wind started to back and I wasn’t going to do this in one tack. So out I go again for a frustrating night of fickle winds from 0 to 25 and further backing inshore. It took two more tacks to position myself to safely pass between Todos Santos Islands and the mainland. I was getting pretty tired, it was 02:00h and the wind was increasing again. I positioned myself to ease off a bit and was doing about 9 knots in 20-25 kts of wind as I passed the islands and crossed the bay to the harbour entrance. I was very tempted to just sail through the harbour entrance and drop my sails inside in calmer waters. Not being able to see inside clearly and never been in there before I decided it wouldn’t be smart to go in blindly so I dropped the main outside in the swells and very slowly, at just above idle, made my way into Cruise Port Marina. I arrived at 04:20h and, after securing the boat, went to sleep.

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Ultegra safe and sound in Ensenada

The next day I got checked in and was assigned a slip. I walked over to check it out and met Doug and Cindy Monroe on Sparton from Oregon. They were very nice and asked if I would need help with my lines. I said great and went to move Ultegra over. When I got close I saw about eight people standing by. They grabbed the lines and I was secure in no time. I was still pretty exhausted and while sitting in my cockpit with a glass of wine contemplating my navel and making a mental plan Doug came over with a plate of tuna, veggies and rice and said, “you looked tired so we made you dinner”. Wow! What a reception! The next day I was invited to join the Friday Happy Hour on Kick Back by her owner Karla. KickBack is a classic 81 ft wooden power yacht.

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SV Kickback

Since then, Ultegra’s engine has been removed, taken to S&W Diesel in Long Beach CA, rebuilt, returned to Ensenada, dropped back into the boat and, as I write, is being aligned by a great mechanic, Pancho, at Baja Naval.

Now, the funny thing that happened on the way to the colosseum: on my third day in Ensenada this very lovely lady from New York walked down the ramp behind my boat to start a work/stay on KickBack. We met the next day and, well, things have changed. Sort of. We kind of hit it off you might say. As a result of this and the great community here, I am going to delay my trip back home and hang around here for the summer. We’re going to head into the Channel Islands for a month and if things work out we plan to head back south when hurricane season ends. Probably spend the season in the Sea of Cortez again and are thinking of heading south to Panama where Gerri’s daughter is serving in the Peace Corp.

Life is full of surprises!

About The Author

Dennis Giraud

Ultegra - Beneteau 44, Cutter Rigged

Dennis has sailed from Vancouver to Haida Gwaii as well as the west coast of Vancouver Island. He has cruised the Sea of Cortez, and will be venturing out to Panama in the next season.

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Cruising With Teenagers http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/cruising-with-teenagers/

We survived cruising with teenagers for four years!

As our son is leaving us in a few days to move back to Vancouver from Tahiti, we feel it is appropriate to let you live vicariously through us over four years of cruising with our two teenagers.

First and foremost let us backtrack a little. Our original plan was to set sail once our last offspring would have graduated from high school, around September 2015. You know, to give them stability, let them create a group of friends for life, get them ready for higher education, blah, blah, blah… Life had a different idea for us! In the winter of 2010, we purchased Letitgo (right after the economic crisis of 2008), three years ahead of our schedule, due to a “once in a life time deal”. Then, in 2011 there was the “leavers’ BBQ” held at Spruce Harbour Marina. As we were socializing, someone tapped on my shoulder and I discovered our son swinging from a mast in a “bosun’s chair” and asking loudly: “When are we leaving again?”, with the help of a returning, underage cruising gang who had happily shared their experience!

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The same year we sailed under the Golden Gate bridge on a friend’s sailboat, we kissed (Valerie and I) and the question was asked naively, when is it our turn on Letitgo? Are we going to do this every year on someone else’s sailboat until our turn comes along? And in duo we answered “Next year!”

As you can just imagine, the following 11 months were a flurry of activities. Our family was in a frenzy, especially our daughter, who decided to expedite school: two years in one of pre-university, so she could be part of the “fun”. Here we were, instead of leaving just the two of us in the fall of 2015, we left on August 2012, with our full family unit. Somehow, long term planning never seems to work in our clan.

Everybody was looking at us in disbelief! Two teenagers (19 and 15 years) on a small sail boat with full school requirements for one of them. Some friends doubted our ability to stay alive, and even our family questioned the wisdom of such a choice. Why would we leave with teenagers? Had we really thought all of this through? Especially the impact it would have on the education of our youngest one. So now one may wonder what really happened once Letitgo left its cruising grounds. How did we all fair?

After the spatial adjustments of moving from our 1,100 square foot condo with all the modern necessities (read: unlimited running water, as an example) to roughly 350 square feet of liveable space and 700 liters of fresh water, everybody found their place and rhythm. Fortunately, our Lagoon 380 comes with a private bedroom for each of us; thus allowing us to escape from any madness at any time we wish. Another bonus was a very accessible breaker for the pressure water pump, enabling a quick re-education in quick sailor showers! Indeed, you only get one warning and shampoo really hurts once in your eyes without water coming out of the tap… Mean parents we are, and first hurdle overcome.

Then it was time for serious business: Benjamin started his Grade 10 as soon as we reached San Francisco. And did he need “guidance” and new techniques in order to adjust to the long distance learning. Valerie lost a few nights of sleep at the start, but by year two, he was moving nicely along and starting to study independently. During all this time, Internet connection never proved to be a major problem; we just had to be organized and remember to downloaded ahead of time when we had “all you can eat/use” bandwidth at our disposal.

In the meantime, Emma lived her life of leisure, detaching slowly from the parental authority. She became even more self-reliant by going on vacation in Hawaii for a month with a girlfriend. Unfortunately, no… actually fortunately, she had a sense of her destiny and left us on her 20th birthday to get back to reality, her studies and building a life of her own. She re-integrated easily enough into land life and has been flourishing. She is a doula in Vancouver now.

One left, one to go

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Just the three of us… 4 years into the adventure.

And with that said, we had to put in place a strategy for Benjamin. The taxi hadn’t even left the marina’s driveway in La Cruz and he was already bleaching his sister’s bedroom and taking possession of the Queen size bed. Finally a single child, he could be pampered and enjoy all the attention he had always wanted! Not wanting to have a boomerang kid staying with us forever, the seed was planted that the day he turned 19, his parents could, if they wished, live “Au Naturel” on the boat at any time. As you can imagine, this is not something he would want to witness. Period! Bodies older than 25 and more than 15% body fat, are you joking!? We had found his weak spot, the shot gun clause in the contract, and we were set.

The next stage of our travels pushed us further from the compound of North America and life didn’t change that much. By that time, Benjamin was preparing for the Provincial exams, requiring some interesting and ingenious planning to fit the requirements of the BC Ministry of Education. We will not discuss this in detail here; let’s just say we stayed within the guidelines, even if sometimes a bit of imagination was used in their interpretation. Still, with some major push when Internet was available, reading 8-9 hours a day nonstop for 2-3 weeks at a time, he graduated with honors in 2015. By then he realized he had still one year to live in paradise. Not wanting to waste it on frivolous activity, he decided to up his marks and curriculum even further by taking six extra classes, three being the pre-Calculus classes he had previously skipped. After 6 months of hard work he succeed, and finish Grade 12 with a

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94% average. He will be enrolling in a Canadian university with a scholarship in the fall of 2016. All this was performed with no pushing, use of cattle electric probe or bribes on our part. He knew what he wanted, having met so many amazing and successful people along the way. We were relieved.

By now, Benjamin was starting to find us cumbersome when on land. As his sister did two years ago, he started to warn us that without him we would be lost and we were at risk of not being able to survive once he left.

Now, how does the fairy tell end? Did we have to use the shot gun clause to get him away from Letitgo? As I write these few words, we will be celebrating his 19th birthday tomorrow, in the Tahiti lagoon. Next day, we are hauling out in downtown Papeete and the plane ticket is booked for seven days later. So, we will never know if the threat worked or not, but in a month we will start our new life, free at last, to live the way we want, once Valerie comes back from settling her little one. A few containers of Nutella will be needed to smooth the heart, like three years ago when she did the same for Emma. Letitgo will be ready, I will be ready; let’s move west for next season.

About The Author

Valerie and Laurent Devin

LetItGo - Lagoon 380, Catamaran

Valerie and Laurent broke the habit of living on land and became pelagic nomad. Their travels have taken them first down the coast of North America, Central and South America where they stopped in Baja de Caraquez in Ecuador. For three months, they traveled on land mostly by bus to visit Bolivia, Peru and finally Ecuador. In December 2014 they left the Americas and followed the trades to French Polynesia. They are currently in the Marquesas. Their passions are discovering new ways of life by meeting people, experiencing food, various culture and learning new languages. They started this adventure with their two teenagers one of them is now living independently in Canada. Follow their trip at svletitgo.com.

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Advantages of External Alternator Regulation http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/advantages-external-alternator-regulation/

Alternator regulators were traditionally built into or attached to the back of the alternator and were functionally either producing power or not producing power. This approach is fine for many applications, particularly with power boats that run their engine, and therefore the alternator, for long periods of time. For other vessel operators, the engine run times may be shorter. This is prevalent with sailboats that will operate their engine typically for a fraction of their cruising time, or for power boaters doing only a short cruising day. To maximize charging efficiency, and thereby shorten engine run times to fully charge the battery bank from the alternator charging source, an external regulator has several advantages.

Most external regulators take advantage of the digital processing technology to create charging regimes that maximize charging efficiency. The power output will be tailored to the battery type and follow the three step charging protocol (a bulk phase, an absorption phase, and a float phase). This will charge the battery bank quickly and completely without over charging the batteries. The battery bank voltage can give the regulator a voltage reading that is more accurate, as it eliminates any error that may be introduced due to voltage drop on associated cabling.

There are other small advantages that are gained with external regulators. A soft start-up protocol allows the engine to be well started and belts to be well seated in before output power is ramped up. In addition is the ability to limit the output from the alternator in cases where full output is unnecessary or

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undesirable. However, the main reason for choosing external regulation over internal regulation is efficiency.

– Lyle, PYS Marine Electrical Technician

About The Author

Jeff Cote

Pacific Yacht Systems -

Jeff Cote is a systems design engineer and owner of Pacific Yacht Systems, a full service shop delivering marine electrical and navigation solutions for recreational boats. Visit their website and blog for info and articles on marine electrical systems, projects and more: www.pysystems.ca.

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Calgary Chapter’s First Meeting of the Season a Big Hit http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/calgary-chapters-first-meeting-season-big-hit/

On September 6, the Calgary Chapter held its first Club meeting of the season. The meeting opened with Magnus Murphy (who has been the Vice Commodore of the Calgary Chapter for the past 2 1/2 years) handing over the reigns to incoming Vice Commodore, Cathy Norrie. Cathy thanked Magnus, as well as other members of the team for their various contributions:

Tami Adams-Catherwood arranges speakers for the meetings (and is always looking for more – get in touch if you’d like to share some aspect of your sailing adventure or an area of expertise with the group). Rick Reynolds has served for many years as the Chapter’s Treasurer, and has done his bit to keep the group solidly in the black (thanks!). Allen Dick spoke about the Thanksgiving Rendezvous coming up soon on Thetis Island.

The highlight of the evening was the storytelling – both formal and informal. With big ears open, I listened to Magnus raving about the San Blas Islands (which I promptly added to my ‘must go there list’) and took in the pros and cons of bashing up the west coast from Mexico (as opposed to heading across to

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Hawaii and then crossing farther north). Given that my brother lives on Oahu, I’m thinking that when the time comes to do that trip, the Hawaii option is looking more and more appealing.

Having just finished their final leg of their circumnavigation aboard Terrwyn, Bill and Cathy Norrie had many tales to tell. Cathy shared a presentation that included a very professional trailer to whet our appetites, followed by a fine feature presentation starring “Poppy and Scuppers”. Though only 9 minutes long, the short video captured the highlights of the circumnavigation leg that took them across the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal. Once again, the San Blas Islands came up – Cathy’s photos and videos sealed the deal.

Cathy Norrie (once upon a time a kindergarten teacher) couldn’t resist a bit of show-and-tell. She brought along these gorgeous Molas, made by the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands. Women hand stitch the intricate patterns and sell them to visiting tourists, providing a valuable source of income for their families.

This picturesque island group is now on my “Absolutely Must Go There No Matter What” list. Of course, the sailing was not all fun and games. Pirates off the coast of Venezuela have been a problem and it was interesting to hear Cathy and Bill’s strategy to avoid them: Depart from Trinidad at night, during a storm, and head east. Staying in constant touch with the Coast Guard, the devious route took an extra three days, but the result was a trauma-free passage.

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There were also tender moments that elicited a few ‘awws’ from the audience – a short video clip of Cathy’s toes, painted to match the local waters; playing footsie with Bill’s duct-taped toes, (what better way to immobilize a dislocated baby toe?) proved it’s possible to be trapped aboard a boat for many months and still be on cozy terms. That’s reassuring for those of us who have yet to test the waters with our partners aboard!

Images of the passage through the Panama Canal never fail to inspire awe and it was cool to see Terrwyn’s progress through the Locks and, eventually, out the other end and into the Pacific.

After indulging in some tasty snacks (oh, so much food!), it was on to our next speaker. Terry Reid, a keen offshore racer, shared some photos and stories about his recent part in delivering O Canada, an Open 60, from Halifax to Quebec City. O Canada may be a high tech racing machine designed to be single-handed across oceans, but I was a tad surprised to learn she doesn’t even have a head aboard! Nope, a simple bucket on a rope was the extent of the ‘facilities’.

O Canada is currently undergoing a refit, with an eye to returning her to open-ocean racing. In fact, the Canadian Ocean Racing Team team is currently campaigning to do the Vendee Globe in 2020. For more information about her last refit in New Zealand after she was knocked down and badly damaged during a race, check out the documentary, The O Canada Project (available for rent or purchase on iTunes). Terry confirms that despite her size and tiller-only steering, she is so well balanced and light on her feet that hand steering was no trouble at all.

Terry driving in the trades with the emergency tiller of “Chasch Mer” hull No. 1 of the infamous Santa Cruz 50? sailboat. The skipper catches some sun.

Terry also shared some photos from his recent participation in the San Francisco to Hawaii race this summer aboard a Santa Cruz 50 (Hull #1, no less!). With 10 crew members aboard, it was perhaps a tad crowded and Terry remarked on just how rough (weather-wise) this year’s race was. Also interesting was his observation that one needs very little light to function well while in the middle of the ocean. “All you need is one star to put somewhere on the rig or forestay,” he said blithely. “You don’t need to see much.” Of course, it isn’t always quite that easy. He admitted it could get disorienting on nights so dark you can’t see the bow. During one bad broach at night during the passage, one of their spinnakers ripped in half! Though, the way Terry told the tale, a shredded spinnaker wasn’t such a big deal. Hmmm. I wonder if I’ll ever see the day when losing a spinnaker at night will hardly seem worth mentioning. For that

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matter, I wonder if I’ll ever be brave enough to fly my spinnaker after dark!

Cover Image Attribution: By Dave Lonsdale, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

About The Author

Nikki Tate-Stratton

Boatless... for now -

Nikki Tate-Stratton hasn't done nearly enough sailing, but she plans to change that as soon as possible! Though she's done a bit of coastal cruising in the Gulf Islands, the Florida Keys, and the Caribbean, she's still a novice when it comes to sailing offshore. A writer by profession, her job is conveniently portable as long as she can find decent wi-fi from time to time. Nikki blogs more or less regularly at darkcreekfarm.com/blog and hopes to contribute to Currents whenever she has anything vaguely marine- related to talk about.

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Panama http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/panama/

Panama is that irregular shaped peninsula that joins North and South America, like an “S” lying on its back. Directions are confusing here. When you transit the Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic, you are actually going northwest.

Panama is a small country with a population of only 3 to 4 million, most of whom live along the Canal corridor. There are three areas of interest to boaters: the Pacific with the small islands near Costa Rica of Isla Seca and Parrida; the Pearlas Islands in the Gulf of Panama near Panama City; and on the Atlantic side, there is Bocas Del Torro near Costa Rica and the San Blas Islands that go from about 80 miles from Colon to the Colombia border. Panama has two seasons; the wet season from June until December and the dry season the rest of the year. The trade winds blow during the dry season. The temperature stays in the low 30C range year round.

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Kuna canoe

Our favorite spots are in the San Blas Islands. There are over 360 of these islands. The islands near the mainland are heavily populated with barely enough room to walk between the thatched roofs. On the outer islands the population is more transient, with families visiting during school holiday from December 15 to the end of February, and fishermen and others who guard and gather coconuts while living in temporary shelters of sticks and palm fronds. Many islands are uninhabited. The outer islands lie behind reefs and are up to 15 miles off the mainland. These are where most of the cruisers hang out, as the water is clear and there are coral reefs and sandy beaches to explore.

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Kuna village

The San Blas Islands are part of Kuna Yala, that extends from the outer islands to the top of the mountains on the mainland and from Porvenir to the Colombian border. Kuna Yala is a semi -autonomous area of Panama. The Kuna have their own laws and send elected officials to the Panamanian Government. Most of the women dress in traditional style and fishing and farming what grows naturally keeps most of the men busy. They are great seamen and sail their dugout canoes with skill. Their traditional houses are made with reed walls and palm frond roofs. The only furniture being a hammock or a plastic chair. Although they welcome boaters, they impose a fee and set rules of behavior such as no scuba diving, use of spear guns or nudity.

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Kuna

When we first arrived in the islands in 2003, the only way here was by boat or plane. About five years ago, a road was built connecting to Panama City, and there has since been an influx of tourism. Some islands close to the road have set up small, primitive resorts and they no longer welcome boaters there. Progress has come to some villages with electricity and satellite TV, cell phones and internet. On the boat we get internet by raising a Wi-Fi router up the mast. Even the remote villages have solar panels and LED lights in their houses.

Even with all this “progress” there are still lots of quiet places to drop the hook, with palm covered islands around. The only civilization you’ll find here is when a Kuna comes up to barter a cell phone charge up for a coconut.

About The Author

Esther & Neil Symons

Milagro - Morgan/Catalina 45

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Panama and then visited Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba and the Cayman Islands before returning to Panama in 2008. In 2010 we purchased Milagro in Florida and brought it back to Panama. Since then we have been keeping Milagro at Shelter Bay Marina in Colon at the mouth of the canal for the summer months and spending our winters in the San Blas Islands.

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Ensenada BURP http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/ensenada-burp/

Here we are in Ensenada, Mexico having a BURP at the Marina Coral Clubhouse on September 13, 2016. We almost had 5 boats but Paul Guennette had to leave before I thought of doing this.

On hand are Ian and Laurie Clark on Namo, Yonas and Julia Jongkind on Roamin, Jim Kelly and Linda Hawks on Bright Moments and Dennis Giraud with Gerri McKiernan on Ultegra.

We were very fortunate to have Captain Rene Marquez, a very experienced local captain who operates private yachts out of La Paz, hanging around. He very generously offered to pass on some very interesting local knowledge on anchorages that were less visited in the Sea of Cortez. Very interesting and valuable.

We had a great meal, a few Margaritas and some wine, Jim and Linda had some great photos and experiences from their four seasons in the Sea and I added a few photos and videos from my first season in the Sea.

All in all, good people, good time.

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About The Author

Dennis Giraud

Ultegra - Beneteau 44, Cutter Rigged

Dennis has sailed from Vancouver to Haida Gwaii as well as the west coast of Vancouver Island. He has cruised the Sea of Cortez, and will be venturing out to Panama in the next season.

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Fleet of 2016 Update http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/fleet-2016-update/

The Fleet of 2016 has scattered in all directions and the last few Leavers have now received their Bon Voyage packages and are all set for the offshore adventures that await.

Congratulations to the skippers and crews of Bloom, Mayaluga, Muskoka, Anduril, Kadens and Harlequin for reaching California! And also to Nightide, a member of the 2015 Fleet, that first went to Alaska and back before heading south this summer.

Sheldon and Grace Muirhead (ACappella 1858) were last sighted in Comox, making plans for the winter. They’ve also decided to head north and explore more of the BC Coast before looking southwards for blue waters.

The crew of Lemanee set out with high hopes, but wisely turned back when a medical condition presented itself. This winter Dennis and Kandyce plan to find some warm beaches somewhere, hopefully do some diving, before putting Lemanee back in the water and heading south next summer.

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Alex Brydon (left) and James Howard (right) with their Bon Voyage packages

Thanks to Don Hutchison, the Leaver Package Committee rep, who presented one of the last packages to Alex Brydon (Ila May) and entrusted him with another package for Stephen Harding (Southern Cross III), already in California.

And then there’s Golden Hind IV, an Albin Vega 27, the smallest vessel in the Fleet this year. Skippered by James Howard (his first mate is a four-legged guy named Duke), Campbell and I caught up with James in late August to give him his Leaver’s package and wish him “fair winds”. Golden Hind IV is now underway, heading towards Neah Bay.

Thanks to the Fleet for finding time and energy to update your blogs and vblogs for the rest of us to enjoy! We look forward to staying in touch as your explorations and adventures continue!

About The Author

Jennifer Handley

Camdeboo - Lavranos 50 Cutter-Rigged Sloop

Jennifer Handley and Campbell Good sailed Camdeboo to the South Pacific in 2006 with their two daughters, a niece, nephew and Jennifer’s brother. By the time Camdeboo returned to Victoria in 2011,

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she had 25,000 nm under her keel, visited 14 countries and 27 people had come aboard as crew. Jennifer is Commodore of BCA.

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Turtle http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/turtle/

After a blustery and overcast Valentine’s Day, the weather cleared and the wind is down a bit. We decided to snorkel on a reef about ½ mile dingy ride from the anchorage. The reef is somewhat protected, but there are still ‘curlers’ on the outside. We swim on the inside but there is still quite a surge. We kick along not fighting it, holding on when it’s pushing against us and making way when it sucks us along.

There are fish here: blue-green parrots; little yellow butterflies; long nosed trumpets, schools of 50 – 100 blue tangs. A blue grey trigger fish circles. A vertical diamond with top and bottom fin working in opposite directions, watching with one big eye.

The coral here is unique. Several acres of coral heads rising up from the white sand bottom 20 feet down to within a few feet of the surface. They are all shapes, from slab-sided green mushrooms that look like some gnome’s house; intricate patterned brain coral, and others with lots of irregular shapes. There are lots of soft corals too: lacy blue fan coral 4 feet across; leafless bushes of brown and green, and the ones that look like ostrich feathers in light mauve. The coral, the fish, the sand and us all moving with the swell.

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Then we see the turtle. He’s about 2 feet across at the shoulders and about 3 feet head to tail. He swims underneath us a few feet off the bottom. We keep up easily. He pokes in under a coral head, pushing sand with his feet, trying to get at something. We watch as the minutes tick by. He pulls out something that looks like sea weed and eats it on the sand. Slowly, he rises for a breath. We hang back not wanting to disturb him. His nose breaks the surface for only a second or two and then he’s down again. He’s in no hurry and we swim along. His back is yellow green and has some moss on it. Again he comes up with his back to us. We are closer now. A puff and then he turns and his head is about a foot from my mask. Who is most surprised? Not him, he just sinks a couple of feet and swims under us. Now he’s had enough. Down he goes into the deeper water and slowly disappears into the blue haze.

You never know what you’ll see when you go for a swim.

Another day, another adventure!

Photo credit: CC BY SA 3.o Unported About The Author

Esther & Neil Symons

Milagro - Morgan/Catalina 45

Esther & Neil were members of Bluewater Cruising Association from 1998 till 2002. We left with the fleet of 99 on our Satruna 33 Paraquina. We crossed to the Caribbean in 2003 spent two seasons in the Panama and then visited Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba and the Cayman Islands before returning to Panama in 2008. In 2010 we purchased Milagro in Florida and brought it back to Panama. Since then we have been keeping Milagro at Shelter Bay Marina in Colon at the mouth of the canal for the summer months and spending our winters in the San Blas Islands.

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Trying to Impress the Children http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/articles/trying-impress-children/

The Ty Dewi crew are in Dominica, touring the Island and trying to find something that makes these travel-weary children go ‘wow’…!

One of the great things about this cruising life is that we visit so many amazing places. One of the downsides is that the kids think this is normal. Occasionally we rent a car, as we did in Dominica the other day.

Now, car travel can be pretty boring for young kids, and the age-old challenge of driving whilst the children wage war behind you has been largely solved by the development of portable DVD players. These god-sends (look, if you’re a parent you know exactly what I mean and even if you don’t want to admit it, they’re great), distract two small people, who would otherwise be trying to beat the heck out of each other or kick their way through the front seats, just as you swing round the hairpin bend meeting the cement truck coming downhill the other way.

So when we tour these islands, Gesa and I are gaping out of the window at the unfolding vistas whilst the children are gaping at a 7 inch flatscreen. We try, we really do. Hey kids, look out Issie’s window, there’s some goats. “Oh, yeah”. Hey, we’re driving through a volcanic crater, look how the mountains

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are all around us. “Oh, yeah”. See how high we are, the road just drops away to nothing for, err, a hundred metres, gulp. “Oh, yeah”.

The Wild East Coast of Dominica – Better seen from a hire car than from your boat

To give them credit, “Oh, yeah” is a pretty versatile phrase. We have begun to rate views and scenes on a scale from bored, tired “Oh, yeah” said in a voice that is almost a yawn, through to “Oh! Yeah!” which is fully engaged, sat straight up, fascinated by whatever it is. Usually it takes an amazing double rainbow or a sheer cliff face crawling with lizards to get this reaction.

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Walking to the Waterfall through the Dominican Rainforest

Dominica must be spectacular because, rounding the last corner in the rain forest path to the Emerald Falls, Max stops on the bridge when he sees the waterfall and pool below and says, not ‘Oh Yeah’ but ‘Oh, WOW’. That’s pretty much “top of the tree, don’t get no better than this, blown away by it all” stuff. It helps that once out of the car and walking, they aren’t distracted by Toy Story, Little Mermaid or whatever is favourite of the week, but even so, we get ‘Oh WOW’ very rarely.

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Family swim at the Emerald Falls in Dominica

I have dim memories (my parents will have much more vivid and probably painful ones) of my sister and I being dragged around the historic castles and Roman remains of Northumberland when we were little. Without the benefit of in-car DVD we were probably either beating each other up or buried in our books and unwilling to get out and look at the next lump of old rocks in a muddy field. Yet, that experience, or something, has left me with a deep and lasting fondness and fascination with the history, geology and environment that makes these places so special.

So thanks, Mum and Dad, once again we only really begin to understand what we put you through when we have to deal with the same. And we can only hope that, in years to come, Issie and Max find themselves with a similar desire to explore and understand the world around them.

About The Author

Nick Ward

Ty Dewi - Young Sun 43 Pilothouse

In 2007, Nick Ward and his young family emigrated from England to Canada, by way of a two year cruise from England to the Caribbean and the Eastern Seaboard of the USA. They, and, Ty Dewi, now live in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.

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Vancouver Club Night - From Rat Race To "Alternative" Lifestyle http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/vancouver-club-night-rat-race-alternative-lifestyle/

Please join us to greet old friends and new for the first Vancouver Club Night of the season!

We’re excited to hear from BCA ‘Doers’ Gary Peacock & Karina McQuieen. Sea Rover II, their Oyster 435, is awaiting their return later this fall in Guaymas, Mexico.

Survival on the High Seas

How a 25 year partnership endured the massive transition from the rat race to living an “alternative” lifestyle…

In 2009 Gary mentioned to Karina that they should quit their jobs, sell everything, buy a

36 / 63 Currents The Official Magazine of the Bluewater Cruising Association boat and sail around the world. Karina’s response was “ARE YOU INSANE????”. The heated discussion that ensued was one of many that would follow for the next five years as the two strong willed individuals developed a unified vision and executed it with a departure in 2014 to Mexico. Join Gary and Karina as they describe the tears, terror and teamwork required to make their dream of cruising the world on a sailboat a reality.

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BCA Thanksgiving Rendezvous 2016 http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/bca-thanksgiving-rendezvous-2016/

Come one, come all to the fourth and final BCA Rendezvous of 2016 on Thanksgiving weekend, October 8-10. Sponsored by the Calgary Chapter, this annual event is known for its fabulous Thanksgiving dinner, the intensely competitive model boat race, a keg (or sometimes two) of beer, camaraderie and its casual and largely unstructured agenda. It is a great opportunity for sailors/boaters with a common interest in offshore cruising to rub shoulders for fun, laughs, mutual help, and to trade stories and gear at a popular location.

Everyone is welcome!

Members, prospective members, past members and guests, boaters interested in offshore sailing and friends young and old are all invited to attend. Boats of all sorts, sizes and condition are welcome. Some come by kayak. Some fly in, others drive or walk on the ferry. Some come for one day, others for 3. Some stay onboard, others stay in the Thetis Island Marina and Pub rental suites. The choice is yours! And if you need crew or are hoping to find a boat with a berth, please write a post on the Rendezvous Event forum; it would be great if people can connect and make arrangements to travel together.

Weekend Highlights

Model Boat Race! A fun, farcical, but deadly serious competition for supremacy between mini sailboats made on-site with found-on-beach materials. There are rules, but if anyone knows for

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sure what they are, please let the Rendezvous coordinator know! Rules are somewhat fluid, often made up on the spot, and apparently subject to retroactive change. Rumours of bribery and sabotage abound. Swap Meet! An opportunity to get rid of surplus items and find treasures. Anything from stem to stern, or even entire boats. Items like charts, DVDs, and books are quick to find buyers. For large items, bring posters for the bulletin board or advertise on the BCA website and/or email the Thanksgiving list in advance. Presentations! Projection facilities are available and we will schedule the presentations indoors at the Marina on an ad hoc basis depending on interest and weather. If you have a presentation or slide show about a trip or some technical matter of interest to fellow boaters, please bring it along on a thumb-drive and we’ll see how things work out. Check out Offshore Boats! Ever wonder what the boats you pass on the dock are like inside? People sail around the world in these boats and some are pretty small — and old. Could you do it? Each day many Rendezvous attendees invite others to visit on board their boats. Prizes! Suppliers have donated attractive prizes for draws and door prizes.

Schedule of Events

For a detailed schedule of daily events, check here.

Reservations for Moorage

Good anchorage is available nearby, but many BCA boats tie up and make full use of the marina docks and facilities. So the answer is “Yes! The sooner the better.” Marina space may be limited and it is easier to cancel than reserve at the last minute: Dock Reservations: 250-246-1443; Pub (alternate): 250-246-3464.

Your RSVP is Requested

Please RSVP on the website, even if there are doubts (look for “RSVP for this event” above). Advance registration is appreciated for planning purposes, but organizers also understand if things change and there is a need to cancel.

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Vancouver Island Club Night - eXXpedition http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/vancouver-island-club-night-exxpedition/

If your total sailing experience was a couple of hours, would you sign up to join 13 other women whom you’d never met for a 21 day offshore passage from Brazil to French Guyana? Sarah Richardson did…

Join Sarah as she shares her experiences on the 72’ research vessel Sea Dragon as a crew member of eXXpedition Amazon. Sarah will also present a documentary about the work of Exxpedition, which is “a series of women’s voyages to make the unseen seen, from the toxics in our bodies to the toxics in our seas”.

Sarah Richardson has been concerned about environmental and social issues since she was very young. By participating in eXXpedition, she was able to combine these interests with the opportunity to discover whether she liked sailing.

Sarah lives on Quadra Island with her husband and 2 daughters, and is excited to share her experiences in the Atlantic aboard Sea Dragon and also with Exxpedition Great Lakes in August 2016.

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Vancouver Fleet: 2017 http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/news/vancouver-fleet-2017/

In September of every year a number of members of BCA get together to form the Fleets – one on Vancouver Island, one in Calgary and one on the Lower Mainland. These are people who are planning to leave for offshore in the following year or soon thereafter. They meet monthly or more often depending on the program they set up for the year. The members themselves decide the program based on their needs and interests.

One of the objectives of the Fleet is to increase the participants’ basic knowledge of whatever is necessary to prepare them for safe and comfortable voyages. Examples of sessions presented in years past are:

Presentations and panels of BCA members who have recently returned from offshore Use of Pactor Modems for Email and Weather Files Mast Climbing Ham and SSB Storm Tactics and Safety at Sea

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Psychology of Cruising Rigging and Rigging Repair Sail Selection and Sail Repair Medical Problems Offshore

Each year’s Fleet can work with the Education Watch to set up sessions such as these.

Another objective is to make the members aware of sources of useful and innovative equipment available. A committee of the Fleet is in contact with various suppliers collecting information on equipment available at good prices.

Perhaps the most important objective of the Fleet is to get to know the people who will be sharing their offshore adventure – people whom they will be meeting in foreign ports, people who will happily help each other out in times of difficulty, people who will become long-time friends. With this in mind we have a number of social events during the year with no specific program other than getting to know one another better.

Throughout the year the Vancouver Fleet’s regular meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The first meeting of the Vancouver Fleet of 2017 will be held at the Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver at 1900h on Tuesday, September 27. This meeting will feature members of earlier Fleets who have returned to Vancouver.

If you would like to join, just show up at the meeting. Fleet fees will be $50 per boat – all crew welcome to attend.

Cover image attribution: CC BY SA 3.0 Unported (image link) About The Author

Cameron and Marianne McLean, Vancouver Fleet Coordinators

Mayknot - Seabird 37

Cam and Marianne McLean have been BCA members since 1987, cruised offshore, and have served as the Vancouver Fleet Coordinators for many years.

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Vancouver Island Fleet: 2016/17 http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/news/vancouver-island-fleet-4/

If you are planning to sail offshore in the next year or two on your own boat or someone else’s, consider joining the VI Fleet of 2016/17, which will have its first meeting at 1830h on Wednesday, September 28 at Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

The Fleet meets every 2 weeks and has presentations or group discussions on a variety of topics of interest to Fleet members. The cost is $60 per boat for the year.

Many Fleet members also join the Weather Group which meets on the same nights immediately after Fleet. The Weather Group is designed to help participants increase their understanding of global weather and to develop skills in analyzing and applying weather information available at sea.

If you are interested in joining the 2016/17 Fleet or Weather Group, send Connie an email for more information.

Cover image attribution: CC BY SA 3.0 Unported (image link)

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About The Author

Connie Morahan, VI Fleet Coordinator

Cookie Cutter - Peterson 36 Cutter

Connie Morahan has been a BCA member since 2000. She cruised the Pacific Ocean with Peter McMartin over a ten-year period, returning to BC from Japan in 2012. She has served as VI Fleet Coordinator since 2012.

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Currents Cover: Photo Contest http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/news/currents-cover-photo-contest/

The Currents Cover Photo Contest is back! Our monthly “pdf” publication needs the best photos of your boats to grace its covers for the next 12 months! Since last year’s contest was so popular, we thought we would do it again!

So, here’s the scoop:

If you are a BCA member in good standing, we ask you to submit the best photos of your boat to the Currents Editor and then the Currents team will select the 12 best shots that will make the cover of Currents for the next 12 months.

Contest Rules

It is important that you follow these rules and guidelines for submission because if you don’t, we may not be able to use your photo. For example: we cannot use photos in landscape orientation for the cover of Currents, so, it is extremely important that you submit portrait only photos. See the rules and guidelines below:

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Deadline for submission of photos: October 15, 2016 You can submit more than one photo Photo submission guidelines: Orientation: Portrait Resolution: Minimum 1200×900 pixels or higher resolution File format: .jpg Winners will receive Currents credits towards their membership fees Winners will be asked to provide a brief description of the boat and where the photo was taken. They will also be asked to give permission to publish that information as well as their name.

So, dig into your photo archives or go out and take a great shot of your boat and keep those submissions coming! I am really looking forward to seeing the entries come in!

Photo Attribution: (License: CC0) About The Author

Rosario Passos

Counting Stars - Whitby 42 Ketch

Rosario is a dreamer who wants to sail the South Pacific.... so far she sails the local waters of the Salish Sea to get as much experience as possible.

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BCA Cruising, Perpetual and Service Awards Nominations - 2016 http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/news/bca-cruising-perpetual-service-awards-nominations-2016/

Annual awards ceremonies take place in each Chapter to celebrate the sailing achievements of BCA skippers and their crew and/or their safe return to home port. These happy occasions, which are celebrated by the membership at large, also inspire the “dreamers” among us and encourage the “do-ers” to maintain their membership while cruising.

If you think you are eligible, or wish to nominate someone for an award, now is the time to do it! You are encouraged to either apply for or nominate other members by contacting Past Commodore, Boudewijn Neijens. Detailed information about BCA’s many sailing and perpetual awards, application criteria, and the nomination process can be found on the BCA website and in the 2016 Member Directory, pp 20-22.

In order to allow time for review by the Awards Committee, engraving, and presentation at the three Chapters’ Awards Nights in December, all applications must be received prior to November 6, 2016.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Boudewijn.

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Vancouver Fleet Meeting http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/vancouver-fleet-meeting/

Fleet meetings are only available to Bluewater Cruising Association (BCA) members in good standing.

Throughout the year the Vancouver Fleet’s regular meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

The first meeting of the Vancouver Fleet of 2017 will be held at the Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver at 1900h on Tuesday, September 27. This meeting will feature members of earlier Fleets who have returned to Vancouver.

Cover image attribution: CC BY SA 3.0 Unported (image link)

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Welcome, Cathy Fritter - A New Member on BCA's Board of Directors http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/news/welcome-cathy-fritter-new-member-bcas-board-directors/

Please join me in welcoming Vancouver Chapter member, Cathy Fritter, to the BCA Board of Directors.

Cathy and her husband Rob, are new to BCA, having just joined in January 2016 as Dreamers. They have been cruising for 14 summer seasons, visiting many points between Seattle and Desolation Sound on L’Orien, their Mason 43 cutter. Cathy fell in love with the sea as a kid, works in a marine related

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business, and taught and participated in dinghy sailing as a teen. She and Rob thought BCA sounded like a great organization for them to take their sailing further – literally! Bringing experience in various positions in other organizations, Cathy decided to volunteer as Board Secretary after singing sea shanties at the Poet’s Cove Rendezvous (listen for the advert at approx 1:30), and looks forward to getting to know other members…

YouTube Video

Thanks, Cathy, for volunteering to serve on the Board. As the person who is responsible for keeping records of BCA decisions, (primarily by taking and distributing the Minutes of BOD meetings and the AGM), you help us fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities. For that, we are very grateful!

About The Author

Jennifer Handley

Camdeboo - Lavranos 50 Cutter-Rigged Sloop

Jennifer Handley and Campbell Good sailed Camdeboo to the South Pacific in 2006 with their two daughters, a niece, nephew and Jennifer’s brother. By the time Camdeboo returned to Victoria in 2011, she had 25,000 nm under her keel, visited 14 countries and 27 people had come aboard as crew. Jennifer is Commodore of BCA.

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Vancouver Island Fleet & Weather Group Meeting http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/vancouver-island-fleet-weather-group-meeting/

Fleet and Weather Group meetings are only available to Bluewater Cruising Association (BCA) members in good standing.

The VI Fleet of 2016/17 will have its first meeting on Wednesday, September 28.

The Fleet meets every 2 weeks and has presentations or group discussions on a variety of topics of interest to Fleet members.

The Weather Group meets on the same nights immediately after Fleet. These meetings help participants increase their understanding of global weather and develop skills in analyzing and applying weather information available at sea.

Cover image attribution: CC BY SA 3.0 Unported (image link)

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Emergencies on Board: On-Water Version http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/emergencies-board-water-version/

Ken Gillstrom brings the “Emergencies on Board” seminar on to your boat, for what will prove to be an educational and fun weekend, covering how you can handle various emergency situations on your boat, which you must bring to the course. Exercises will include:

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1. Flood Control: Calculating capacity of bilge pumps and testing their effectiveness 2. Fire Fighting: Fire below – simulation of attacking a fire on board while blindfolded, and finding alternative emergency exits 3. Vessel Evacuation: Assigning responsibilities, ditch bad preparedness 4. Crew Overboard Prevention (COB): Set up a tether/jackline system on you boat that will give you full access to deck; however, not allow you to fall into the water, and how to retrieve a COB from the water 5. Electronic Navigation Systems Failure in Fog: Blind navigation exercise

Points will be awarded for successes of each exercise, with an overall winner declared at the end of the course.

Weekend Outline

Friday:

Afternoon: Arrive at Plumper Cove (Keats Island) Evening 1800h: Pot luck hors d’oeurves in the park Review of weekend’s events, exercise handouts and scoring sheet Review of Emergencies on Board Handout (emailed to participants in advance)

Saturday:

Morning @ 0900h: Flood Control Fire Fighting Vessel Evacuation COB Prevention BYO Lunch on Shore Afternoon @ 1330h: Calibrating depth meter Calibrating speed log Creating a Deviation table for your ship’s compass Simulation of navigation in heavy fog WITHOUT use of GPS, Chart Plotter and Radar. In this exercise the navigator will be asked to stay below deck, so there are no visuals, and will only have depth, speed, compass course and time to work with. The navigator will be asked to direct the vessel to a selected spot on the chart. The closest boat to the mark wins this challenge. Participants should come equipped with appropriate paper chart of the area and tide/current tables. Evening @ 1800h: Scores will be tallied and prizes awarded Potluck dinner on shore

Sunday:

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Morning @ 0900h: On board Voyageur 10.10: coffee, tea, juice and baked goods Retrieving a COB from the water: Trial of various methods Ascending the mast safely: Trial of various methods aboard your vessel Wrap up around 1300h

Additional Information

Mooring/docking fees are not included in the price. There is a limit of 4 participants per boat.

Cover Image: Public Domain

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Vancouver Club Night - Special Event: Laura Dekker http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/vancouver-club-night-special-event-laura-dekker/

The Lower Mainland Yacht Cooperative and the Bluewater Cruising Association are pleased to present an evening with Laura Dekker. Come meet this amazing young sailor and learn about her experiences aboard Guppy.

Laura Dekker: The Youngest Person to Circumnavigate the Globe

Laura Dekker was born on a boat in 1995 in New Zealand. By the age of 11, she was an accomplished sailor and bought her first boat with her own money, a Hurley 700. She took off from Holland and sailed across the North Sea on her own to England. After that trip, she knew she wanted to sail around the world. The Dutch government tried to stop her but she was determined and after a long battle at the age of 14 with the blessings of her parents, she set off on her journey to sail solo around the world.

When she arrived in Saint Maarten aboard her 38 ft ketch Guppy on January 21, 2012, she was 16 years old and had completed 27,000 miles. She had achieved her dream and become the youngest person to circumnavigate the Globe.

Laura wrote a book “One Girl, One Dream” about her adventure and a movie, Maidentrip was released in

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2013 from the video logs Laura kept of her trip. Laura’s book will be for sale at the event. Laura lives with her husband Daniel in her birth country of New Zealand. She has now logged over 36,000. Having earned her Yachtmaster Ocean qualification she does yacht deliveries, sails when she can, skippers for races, continues to write her blog, and travels the world for speaking engagements.

BCA members will have one week to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the public. There is a limit of 200 seats available. You can pick up your tickets at the door on the night of the event.

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Only 40 Tickets Left for Laura Dekker's Presentation! http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/news/40-tickets-left-laura-dekkers-presentation/

Laura Dekker’s presentation coming up soon on October 12, at 1900h at the Scottish Cultural Center in Vancouver is almost sold out! So, if you are planning on attending this presentation, get your tickets now, online at BCA’s website!

Laura Dekker is brought to you by the Lower Mainland Yacht Cooperative and the Bluewater Cruising Association. Laura was born on a boat in 1995 in New Zealand. By the age of 11, she was an accomplished sailor and bought her first boat with her own money, a Hurley 700. She took off from Holland and sailed across the North Sea on her own to England. After that trip, she knew she wanted to sail around the world. The Dutch government tried to stop her but she was determined and after a long battle at the age of 14 with the blessings of her parents, she set off on her journey to sail solo around the world.

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Laura wrote a book “One Girl, One Dream” about her adventure and a movie, “Maidentrip” was released in 2013 from the video logs Laura kept of her trip. Laura lives with her husband Daniel in her birth country of New Zealand. She has now logged over 36,000. Having earned her Yachtmaster Ocean qualification she does yacht deliveries, sails when she can, skippers for races, continues to write her blog, and travels the world for speaking engagements.

Tickets: $ 10.00 Online only

About The Author

Rosario Passos

Counting Stars - Whitby 42 Ketch

Rosario is a dreamer who wants to sail the South Pacific.... so far she sails the local waters of the Salish Sea to get as much experience as possible.

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Calgary Club Night - The Fine Art of Circumnavigating! http://currents.bluewatercruising.org/events/calgary-club-night-fine-art-circumnavigating/

On Sep 8, 1522, Ferdinand Magellan’s Victoria sailed into Seville Spain with 18 surviving sailors remaining from the initial 237 men and five vessels to complete the first Circumnavigation of the globe.

On Sep 22, 1580, Sir Francis Drake in his vessel, Golden Hind, reached London to be the second vessel to circumnavigate.

And on June 16, 2016, Terrwyn reached Bamfield BC with 100% of her double-handed crew aboard becoming the very last vessel to circumnavigate the globe by that day.

Hence we are all related and following in each others’ wake; today, although the risks are reduced, the challenge and satisfaction of voyaging across the world’s oceans remain. Calgary Chapter member, Bill Norrie intends to outline the joys and techniques Terrwyn has used to circumnavigate “in stages” in today’s world, hopefully to encourage similar crews and boats to experience “living the dream ” as Terrwyn‘s crew have enjoyed.

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William C Norrie is a retired mountaineer, practising physician and blue water sailor. He credits surviving his youth to an early love of mountains and medicine. While training and climbing in New Zealand he met his beautiful wife and Co-Skipper Catherine and was introduced to sailing. Practicing medicine and raising his family on Vancouver Island gave Bill the opportunity to race in the PNW, PHRF fleet culminating in the Vic-Maui 1992 race. William and Catherine finally purchased their 37 ft yacht Terrwyn in 2009 and set sail from Victoria 2011, following “The Trade Wind Routes” west-about on their circumnavigation bid which was successfully completed this summer!

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Currents Bluewater Cruising

The Bluewater Cruising Association

PDF generated October 06, 2016 at 10:42 PM

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